Shoes

My sister (who is sitting next to me right now) hates these shoes - how is this possible! Ankle strap heels have been around for the year and I really do question the heel-shaped hole in my life before. It's very hard to find a sophisticated heel that isn't too high or uncomfortable, and one that makes a statement but doesn't clash with an outfit. I actually wore these New Look heels in the day time when I worked at Motel, but now they are strictly for night time. I usually wear high platforms but for once it's nice not to tower over some of my more petite friends.

I would like to refresh my pair for the party season but there isn't really a need to purchase a very similar pair. I do have some gold ankle cuffs which I could easily add to these to jazz them up. However the gold ASOS pair below really would add a fierce edge, and the berry coloured pair would look beautiful with glowing, bronzed legs. Also these are the perfect heels for a meal or date when you don't want something too extreme, but if heels are uncomfortable for you, why not grab some gel heel cups. Basically any outfit is perfect for these shoes! Here is a selection I would happily scoop up too, and I don't think you need to splash out for these shoes at all.

Is there anything fresher than white on white on white? You know you have something new and completely unspoiled when your latest loves are so preciously ivory that you really must wash your hands before lacing them up! Air Force 1s are almost like boots and when you strap in, you feel fully cushioned in kick heaven. I admired the standard sizes but Nike sneaks are on the larger size, especially when shopping guy shoes. I went for half a size down in the JD Sports Junior Nikes and they fit perfectly, even with a little room for comfort and sweet socks.

Matching nails and shoes are essential too you know, and white will transition easily into autumn as a neutral colour, perfect with black and navy and a flash of metal. These ankle cuffs from eBay are the accessory my whole wardrobe was missing and I'm warding off any evil with the eyes in these leggings; my first order since leaving Motel! I miss those gals! I think my expanding trainer collection is due to my new office dress code and on the weekend I want to step as far away from smart-casual as possible and turn it out. I only just managed to wear these beauties out of the house, they are just too perfect! The straps, laces, height and sole all elevate you to flaunt those ankles and white shoes really stand out. With an inky black winter coat, chilly weather can only compliment them even more.

Hey pudding! A few small yet great things have happened today which makes it extra sweet to be blogging about a dress that causes a swoon at every glance. I finished a book I really loved, I found tickets to a sold out show I really wanted to go to and I'm really looking forward to the weekend as I booked Friday afternoon off work! I am maid of honour for my oldest friend so I have planned lots of fun games and presents for the hen do on Saturday, and I have a new white dress in the post so I hope it fits when it arrives!

A soft babydoll dress always has a place on my wishlist and this mini floral dress has the most vibrant yet dreamy print and heavy gathers at the sides so it sits in a strong trapeze style - a classic smock shape. I've also been hunting matte black heels that are super strappy and strong, and these platforms from Bank here have thick, statement straps but the added platform to elongate your legs to the sky. Also scheduled to be teamed with my smallest, cutout dresses at night to toughen them up a little.

I've never had a problem walking in heels and I don't think I have ever taken mine off at the end of a night! Maybe it is because I did ballet dancing for many years but I do generally wear platforms and they keep me dancing all night.

Aloha lovers. I say lovers because this post will be all about love and loving and lovers as I am having an affair with a pair of shoes. I paid the big bucks and got Nike iD Air Max and it's been true love ever since!

So my fashion circumstances changed recently with my new job as there is an office dress code, whereas before I could wear literally anything any day of the week. Now the weekend is my time to wear what I like, but not the time to bust out your most chic, killer outfit as you want to chill and go with the flow. It's the weekend baby! So I made an investment in some trainers that a) I can wear on the weekend and be super comfortable but stay looking sweet and b) I can also wear them to the gym, which I just joined and oh my, it is tough but feels great. That's another post for another time (or best left in the gym!) and so, rather than buying another pair of flats, I got the ultimate Nikes.

I stalked eBay for weeks, I plotted and planned, and I shopped every available style, but there weren't any trainer prints or patterns that were just right, as Goldilocks may say. Nike iD is the way to go as you design your own trainers and they are custom made to order for you. You pay the price but I found a picture of Liberty Pepper Print sneaks that sold out a while ago, and of course I wanted those. I couldn't find them anywhere so I just recreated the design!

Receiving the emails at each point of the creation process was a huge teaser and in a month the postman brought these brand new puppies into my life! Air Max are light and bouncy and elevate your feet nicely so you can show them off and flaunt your ankles. As a long-time wearer of flats, the hours of comfortable walking (shopping) is like heaven. Even my nan loved them, and I trotted off for their first outing, saying RIP to the pristine lilac soles. I got compliments in shops, in the street, through a Starbucks window, and a boy even fell of his bike doing a U-turn to shout 'Nice trainers!' while I was at a bus stop! A lady stopped me on a bridge and said 'Congratulations' as though I had just had a baby! This new world of trainers is a delight to behold, especially since I have taken the girliest step into it that I could! As the most timeless things I ever bought, I paid the high price tag since I can wear these to infinity. My pride and joy, welcome to the world! I definitely recommend saving for the kicks of your dreams too. You won't look back!

Oh hellllloooo shoes of dreams! I went shopping with my housemates on Sunday but we only made it around a few shops as we had a major spree in New Look, where I scoped out the shoes I had in my last glam wishlist post. These glitter wedges are just as pretty in real life but they are SO HIGH I did fear a broken ankle. Wouldn't it be worth it though? I've had a couple of purchases throughout my life that were whistful pretty items I knew I wouldn't wear to death, and the glamour just wears off over time. I decided to leave these shoes on the shelf for a braver shopper. They are haunting me though... I may stop by New Look again so see if they are still there!

Now I've done some funny things in my time in the name of DIY but not for a good few years. Some how tonight though I've found myself with black fingers, floors, and walls thanks to a strange quest to dye my shoes!

This all started because a) I can't seem to find a pair of nice heels anywhere without a stiletto heel and b) I don't want to be spending lots of money right now. I have these grey Miss Selfridge shoes which are very chunky and comfy, and have these amazing giant bows and a pink lining. However they are definitely worn now and the fabric was very marked and dirty beyond repair. Never fear though, I have decided to make them black!

I first tried shoe polish but that wasn't dark enough, and I was going to paint them with fabric paint but Wilkinsons only had packet dye. Well at £2.99 you can't go wrong, so I ignored the instructions and skipped the gloves, and chose basically the largest yet smallest bowl I could find! I am turning the shoes around every few minutes so they are evenly covered and they are looking pretty good despite there being huge puddles of dye inside each shoe. Progress TBC... let's hope I can wear them on Friday night!

Oh holey moley, I love these shoes!!! I saw them on the Topshop website at the beginning of August and dubbed them as THE pay day purchase. I was biding my time as was very excited for a pay day shopping spree in Merry Hill in the Midlands - the kind of shopping trip where you really want to find something you LOVE and will let yourself get anything. Well I did not realise that nowadays Merry Hill is actually a rather small shopping centre and I saw nothing I loved, BUT I did find The Shoes. Yay!

Sadly the shoes were on the dreaded 'Last Chance To Buy' shelf and both were a size 4, as apparently they were just pairs returned to the store. Gutted! The nude pair are just beautiful, in more of a creamy colour rather than a pink colour, but if I did purchase them it would have to be the black so they wouldn't look dirty easily. They are extremely high but I've had a life-long love affair with Mary Janes and could wear these all season until they broke. As long as a shoe is really high, they will be fierce even if they are girly.

Alas I have not since had funds to purchase them, especially as I'm not hitting the town each week like a student, but I will keep my eye on them in case I have a sudden windfall.

Evening all! Gosh it's hot isn't it? Boiling! I have to dry my hair in about half an hour which won't be too fun! I've just been on a veeery cheeky shopping trip as I needed to pick up another hair tint from Superdrug and they didn't have my colour. I popped into River Island and had to try on the shoes I'd blogged about yesterday, and then had to buy them! I tried on the floral pair but they were a bit too *much* for all the patterned things I already own, so I got the nude/taupe pair. The hidden platform really elongated your legs and improved your posture, and I got £8 off as they have a mark on the front which I'll try to remove!

I tried on these aztec flatforms too which were fab but would have sealed the deal if the platform was really oversized. I couldn't decide so I tweeted my dilemma - thank you for all your help! I thought I could the new trainers with: neon, Riding Pants, my pink Circle Skirt, high waisted denim shorts, my leather rucksack, a sleeveless polo neck, and I'm wishing I owned a neon green, rolled-up sleeve sweater/top from the H&M Trend section that I spotted last weekend. Why Bristol doesn't have H&M Trend, I really don't know.

As for shoes I don't really wear, I've only worn the River Island beauties below a handful of times as they need a certain sort of outfit and occasion. They're definitely one of a kind and a really unique shape, with lots of straps. I wish I had more occasions to wear them!

I dashed into town this evening to return my Litas! My second pair of Litas that is! Haha bet you're thinking WTH?!

Basically, you know I've been eyeing Jeffrey Campbell Litas for so long and I'm sure anyone who reads blogs or Tumblr will too! There's just no way you could have an aversion to them, it's like I'm brain washed. They're sort of like gold dust in the UK if you don't live in central London as there's nowhere to buy or try them and I've been watching various shoe sites for months to no avail. Also it's not often you just decide to splurge, but I've been after some 'smarter' heels for work dos and the like where you want to look 'put together' but still fashionable. The timing before just hasn't been right.

But a few Fridays ago one of our fab Motel interns and fellow Lita owner (American flag pair!) told me you could get Litas in Harvey Nichols in Bristol town! For only £95!! Considering they're £120 in Office and beyond that online/with international customs, that is a great deal. They also has the taupe version which were the ones I specifically wanted! So after ringing to reserve them to go at least try them on, a very helpful man told me they didn't have them but you could buy them over the phone from any store in the UK and have them delivered! So in an hour my Litas were on the way from Glasgow and I was excited!!!

However, they were too big! Nooooo!! I swear my feet have shrunk over the years as in heels I'm now a small 6, but the Harvey Nichols UK 6 is a US 9, which actually directly converts to a UK6.5. Once laced up they were fine but I could fit my finger down the back of the shoes right to the sole so really they didn't fit, and you don't want to be spending loads of money on something that isn't perfecto! So I rang around again and had a smaller UK 5 pair shipped from Manchester and they are spot on!!! So if you're a small UK 6 or UK 5.5, go for the Harvey Nichols 5 (or 8M on the actual Lita shoe). I now have two pairs as Harvey Nics wasn't open after 6pm today for my return so ring up on Friday morning and the Bristol store should have a size 7! Or I've spotted them on their website again with only a 7 left here. I'm afraid I won't sell them on here as Paypal is so dodgy nowadays! Eeek I'm so excited to join the world of Litas and they will get their first debut at the Company Blog Awards tomorrow! I'm so surprised I was nominated after everything that happened in the past few months when I didn't really blog at all but the boost the nomination has given me is enough, I love blogging!! I'm going to be strutting all over the place, can't wait to get these on my feet!

I'm quite worried as I usually come home from clubs with atrocious shoes so I'll have to buy some strong shoe protector spray. At least these are slightly distressed to begin with! Also in person, Litas look MASSIVE when you hold them but on they don't feel high because of the platform as your foot isn't very arched. I like dancing in super high heels as you sort of tip-toe though so that will be different. *Prays Motel Rocks will be getting Jeffrey Campbells in soon... ooo did I just type that? Hehehehehehe look out!*

I also had a little raid of New Look to get a few fresh things for my wardrobe as sure, I have lots of clothes, but they do get a bit 'old' after a few months of wear right? I hate it when tees go stretched in places and jumpers go baggy. I picked up some flats to walk to work in and was looking for a new bag so I plumped for this clutch and will put some holes in it for a strap! Also they have a big range of lace socks in all different pastel colours so I got some pastel peach ones for my Litas, only £1.99! Then I raided the teenage section, which is my secret shopping tip! Their kids clothes are all oversized or cropped so anything between age 12-16 will fit me if it's a top or jumper (lol forget about jeans!). I got this cropped lace vest and neon knit for super cheap, and you just have to roll up the sleeves a little so they seem cropped on purpose! They also have the jumper in neon yellow which I'm eyeing... ooo! Very nearly bought MAC Viva Glam Nicki lipstick too as the makeup artist insisted it would suit me loads but I'm pretty sure she said that to everyone that day!xx

I haven't watch SATC in SO LONG, this post title was a must! It was a toss up between that or "I’ve spent $40,000 on shoes and I have no place to live? I will literally be the old woman who lived in her shoes!". The title is quite fitting though as I mean single as in a woman off winning the world rather than being a single lady; being in a relationship doesn't matter on this blog!

Basically I have a few Motel and non-Motel events coming up where I want to look super cool, profesh, stylish and on the ball. Yes I did just write profesh, but hey, this is my blog! I don't have any amazing super heels that are just cool, as the ones I wear clubbing (lol as if, I hardly ever go out anymore!) are just a bit too... dressy? They just look better with a dress rather than an 'outfit', if that makes sense. Now I do have my Miu Miu shoes above and these bejewelled River Island copies of another Miu Miu shoe, but I really want a new pair of shoes! I especially want a pair of bright wedges! I'm crushing all over these Aldo ones.

The teal, lime, lilac, nude or pink please! However my heart will always be set on Litas but I fear Nasty Gal customs fees! Also I'm wondering if there's a next new hot thing around the corner? Will Litas ever be 'over'?

Ahh I'm not sure, really I should save the pennies and wear something I own! Also I do know you can get rip offs of all these shoes on eBay and other cheapie websites but I have a sort of self-rule not to buy rip offs from cheap places where the manufacture is questionable! I've seen too many rip offs of Motel designs and it's so not fair on designers and brands!